Book Review-Heat Exchange by Shannon Stacey

Lydia Kincaid's shipping back to Boston, but she's not happy about it. She left to get away from the firefighting community—her father was a firefighter, her brother's a firefighter and, more important, her ex is a firefighter. But family is number one, and her father needs her help running the pub he bought when he retired. Soon, Lydia finds it hard to resist the familiar comfort and routine, and even harder to resist her brother's handsome friend Aidan.
Aidan Hunt is a firefighter because of the Kincaid family. He's had the hots for Lydia for years, but if ever a woman was off-limits to him, it's her. Aside from being his mentor's daughter, she's his best friend's sister. The ex-wife of a fellow firefighter. But his plan to play it cool until she leaves town again fails, and soon he and Lydia have crossed a line they can't uncross.
As Aidan and Lydia's flirtation turns into something more serious, Lydia knows she should be planning her escape. Being a firefighter's wife was the hardest thing she's ever done, and she doesn't know if she has the strength to do it again. Aidan can't imagine walking away from Boston Fire—even for Lydia. The job and the brotherhood are his life; but if he wants Lydia in it, he'll have to decide who's first in his heart.

Summary

When Lydia’s sister Ashley, is having marriage problems and asks that Lydia comes home for a little while to help out, Lydia reluctantly comes. Lydia isn’t quite ready to return home yet, but she will do anything for her sister no matter how uncomfortable it makes her. When she comes home, she sees that Ashley is really struggling, and takes over her job at their fathers pub and she runs into Aiden Hunt. Lydia has known Aiden for a long while, but never really was interested in him until now. The exchanges between Lydia and Aiden are fiery hot, but their relationship is a bit forbidden. Its unwritten code not to trespass over ones best friends sister or the daughter of a man that is like a second father to him. But Aiden knows what he has with Lydia is worth the risk even if he hates himself to lying to his closest friend. But before they can find something truly good together, Aiden has to figure out a way to prove to Lydia they are worth the risk.

The Hero

Aiden Hunt, is a firefighter for the Boston Fire Dept. He loves his work and it is what makes him who he is. Aiden when he was a kid, was involved in an accident, where he was able to take command of a situation, and the firefighters there (Lydia’s father) led him to be able to fulfill his destiny….to be in command of a sitation and to save lives and do a dang good job of it. Aiden is the type of firefighters….you know every firefighter should be. He found his calling for it when he was pretty young, but he was driven and found a job that makes him who he is. Aiden has issues with his family especially his father who tends to be very emotionally abusive. But Aiden found a second family, in the Kincaids. What I adored about Aiden is how truly good he is….such a remarkable human being. He is honest and true to the core. We see how keeping his relationship to Lydia a secret is killing him inside and boy I loved that about him. And the willingness he goes to for the woman he loves. He is super delectable!!

The Heroine

Lydia Kincaid, left Boston to get away from the fire fighter community. She had to take over a fire fighter’s household after her mother passed away from cancer. She had to live with the mental and emotional toll it took on her every time her father or her brother were on a rescue op and never knew anything for hours. But the worst of it for her, was her past marriage to a firefighter. She tried it, her ex ended up being horrible. Lydid left to get away from it all because it caused her too much pain for her to deal with. We see the way that Lydia struggled entering another relationship with a firefighter. Because she knows the risks more than anyone and is unsure if she can live the life again. But soon Lydia discovers a hidden strength she didn’t know she had. Lydia is one of those heroines who is toughest on the inside. She has issues with her father and brother though. She isn’t afraid to say what she thinks especially if they disagree (which they do and often). But we see why she takes a certain stand against them, because in her mind she and her sister could never compete with the “brotherhood of firefighters”. To her, her father and brother always put their family second. So we see that she has some issues to face but thankfully Aiden is up for the challenge.

Plot and Story Line

In Heat Exchange, we see a sexy and emotionally powerfully love story come into play here. Now I have a weakness for sexy firefighters….I mean what woman doesn’t??!! And man when I saw this cover at the library, I grabbed it up. I don’t even remember glancing at the blurb. hehe All I know was one sexy male on cover and it dealt with a firefighter—no resistance on my part hehe. But also I have never read this author, and I really wanted to give her a chance. And I did and I fell in love with her. I was worried, not sure if I would like her style of writing, but boy I really liked it. I love how involved I got in the story. This couple is simply awesome and from the beginning I was eager to see how it would play out. But we also get a small side romance with the sister Ashley and her husband Danny. These two are having marital problems, because Danny is a quiet man and doesn’t exactly say “I Love You” often or hardly ever….he is more of a show and tell guy but super quiet and reserved. But don’t worry….they eventually find their HEA. I liked seeing their story, because it was nice seeing how a married couple works through serious issues.

The story between Aiden and Lydia is quite HOT!! Oh boy….do these two create some fireworks here. But honestly….on a emotional level they hit the spot perfectly for me. I love a forbidden romance, and the whole man trespassing on his best friends sister trope always works for me. I guess because, he has close ties to the family originally. Aiden and Lydia were quite a remarkable couple and I loved them together. There were moments this story just about broke me though, especially with Lydia and her issues with the “brotherhood”. You definitely could see why she has issues with firefighters, especially with how her father and brother are. Especially her brother….boy he needs to have some sense knocked into him. I know he has a book….so maybe I will get to see him humbled a bit. hehe

Quite frankly….this story rocks and anyone that love a firefighter romance must read it!! YOU GO SHANNON STACEY!!

The Cover

HOT!!!!!SEXY!!! DROOLWORTHY!!! THAT IS ALL FOLKS!

Overall View

Heat Exchange is a stimulating and fiery hot romance that I couldn’t get enough of. Shannon Stacey writes remarkable contemporary romance and I was defintiely hooked on Heat Exchange. It had a vibrancy feel, a truly emotional read with great sensuality and in depth characters!! A DANG SWEET ROMANCE!!

About Shannon Stacey

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV.